A POLICEMAN was hailed a lifesaver today after dragging a woman from her blazing home.

The victim collapsed after breathing in smoke but was saved by the officer, who pulled her to safety. Firefighters said she could have died without his help after her lounge was gutted by flames.

Watch commander Clive Mason, based at Sheldon Fire Station, said: "We always advise people not to enter fire situations because we know the damage smoke can cause.

"But, in these circumstances, there's little doubt the officer either saved her life or stopped her being more seriously injured. It would have been a lot worse had he not been there at the time."

The officer, who could not be immediately named by West Midlands Police, was alerted by members of the public to the blaze, which broke out in the woman's maisonette at Yorklea Croft, Chelmsley Wood, at around 8.30pm yesterday.

The resident, said to be in her early 50s, was believed to have been asleep in a different room and unaware of the fire raging in her lounge.

She collapsed in waist-high smoke after answering the door to the police officer, who raced into her home to drag her out, and was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

The cause of the blaze was being investigated by fire investigators. Half the lounge was gutted by flames and the rest of the maisonette was smoke logged and the windows blown out.

The fire was out within ten minutes of firefighters arriving.

A smoke alarm was fitted inside the property but Mr Mason said it had not appeared to work.